From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4@msn.com)
Date: Tue May 14 2002 - 11:50:53 PDT
----- Original Message -----
From: NASANEWS
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 11:28 AM
To: ames-releases@lists.arc.nasa.gov
Subject: UNDERWATER ‘WEBCASTS’ WITH ASTRONAUTS TO TAKE PLACE MAY 15
John Bluck May 14, 2002
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-5026 or 604-9000
E-mail: jbluck@mail.arc.nasa.gov
RELEASE 02-59AR
UNDERWATER 'WEBCASTS' WITH ASTRONAUTS TO TAKE PLACE MAY 15
>From beneath the coastal waters of the Florida Keys, astronauts within the
Aquarius undersea habitat will conduct a one-hour, live Internet 'Webcast'
on May 15 beginning at 9 a.m. PDT (noon EDT). Webcasts enable viewers to
watch live video, listen to audio and interact in real time on the Internet
with experts.
Three astronauts and a NASA astronaut training specialist in Aquarius will
take part in 'Living in Extreme Environments,' a live Internet program
produced by NASA Quest that presents the undersea environment as an analog
to space travel. NASA is interested in finding out whether Aquarius could
help the agency understand and prepare for long-term space travel. The team
is conducting a 9-day mission in Aquarius.
"I have visited numerous underwater habitats and submersibles, and am
interested in the parallels between living and working in inner and outer
space," said project manager Bill Todd, who is a simulation supervisor at
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston. "I hope to develop a program for NASA
that utilizes the Aquarius as a research facility for space missions such
as long-term space habitation."
Astronauts who are Aquarius crew members slated to take part in the Webcast
include Mike Fincke, Sunita Williams and Daniel Tani, as well as astronaut
training specialist Marc Reagan. Living underwater parallels living in
space in many ways. The time frame for missions involves long periods away
from normal environments and families. Communication with others is not
always immediate. In both space and under the sea, one cannot readily go
home or ask for help whenever necessary.
During the Webcast, the astronauts will answer questions live about their
adventures in space and in the underwater habitat (and how they compare).
Members of the public who wish to monitor the program can access the event
through the Internet at:
http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/space/aquarius/2002/index.html
"Both formal and informal education programs are very important to NASA,"
said Ames education director Donald James. As NASA Administrator Sean
O'Keefe stated recently, education is a core component of NASA's mission,
James added. Engaging students and inspiring the next generation of
explorers is an important NASA priority, according to O'Keefe.
"What a great opportunity for students to see real-time what is going on at
a unique location or facility, and ask the experts direct questions through
the chat room -- watching and hearing their questions answered over a live
link on their computer screens," said Susan Anderson, distance learning
manager at NASA Johnson Space Center.
-
"Each Webcast is designed to engage the classroom in science and
mathematics, including lesson plans and curricula developed by NASA," said
Linda Conrad of the NASA Quest program at NASA Ames Research Center in the
heart of California's Silicon Valley.
Internet audience members can participate in the NASA-sponsored Internet
events without pre-registering.
"This is part of an on-going series of Internet Webcasts and other
activities that are providing students and people from all over the world
with first-hand contact with NASA women and men," Conrad said.
Aquarius is 60 feet below the surface of the water and is three and a half
miles from shore. The facility is owned by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and is operated by the National Undersea
Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
More information about Aquarius is on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius/
For additional information about NASA Quest programs on the World Wide Web,
please telephone Linda Conrad at 650/604-1519.
-end-
To receive Ames news releases via email, send an email with the word
"subscribe" in the subject line
to: ames-releases-request@lists.arc.nasa.gov. To unsubscribe, send an
email to the same address with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Also,
the NASA Ames News Home Page at URL, http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov includes
news releases and JPEG images in AP Leaf Desk format minus embedded
captions.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue May 14 2002 - 12:03:46 PDT